Time & Timing — が早いか/や否や/なり/そばから/てからというもの/を皮切りに/に至って
This is the first N1 lesson, covering grammar for time and timing. 「が早いか」, 「や否や」 and 「なり」 all mean "no sooner had… than…", but they differ in register, in who the subject can be and in what can follow — a favourite set for N1 grammar questions. 「そばから」 means something is undone as soon as it is done, over and over; 「てからというもの」 means things have been different ever since; 「を皮切りに」 means a series of events starting with one; and 「に至って」, 「に至っても」 and 「に至るまで」 describe things reaching an extreme point. These patterns appear mostly in news, essays and fiction, and nearly all of them describe facts that have already happened.
Vocabulary
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一斉に | いっせいに | adv all at once; simultaneouslymany people or things doing the same thing at the same moment一斉に立ち上がる to all stand up at once一斉に報じる (the media) all reporting it at once |
| 殺到 | さっとう | n, suru-verb a rush; a flood (of people, orders, inquiries)注文が殺到する orders pour in窓口に殺到する to crowd the counter |
| 破綻 | はたん | n, suru-verb collapse; breakdown; bankruptcy経営破綻 business failure計画が破綻する a plan falls apart |
| 急落 | きゅうらく | n, suru-verb sharp fall; plungeof prices, markets, ratings; opposite: 急騰株価が急落する share prices plunge支持率の急落 a sharp drop in approval ratings |
| 相次ぐ | あいつぐ | v, intrans. to happen one after anothercommon in news, often of accidents, problems or opinions事故が相次ぐ accidents keep happening相次いで発表する to announce one after another |
| 品切れ | しなぎれ | n sold out; out of stock品切れになる to sell out品切れが続く to stay out of stock |
| 駆けつける | かけつける | v, intrans. to rush to (a place)hurrying somewhere on hearing news現場に駆けつける to rush to the scene病院に駆けつける to rush to the hospital |
| 一目散に | いちもくさんに | adv at full speed; without looking backof running off, usually with 逃げる or 走る一目散に逃げる to run off as fast as one can一目散に駆け出す to dash off |
| 怒鳴る | どなる | v to shout at; to yell (angrily)unlike 怒る, the point is the shouting部下を怒鳴る to yell at one's staff怒鳴り声 an angry shout |
| 散らかす | ちらかす | v, trans. to make a mess; to leave things scatteredintransitive pair: 散らかる部屋を散らかす to mess up a room散らかしっぱなし to leave things in a mess |
| 手を焼く | てをやく | idiom to have a hard time with; not know what to do withof a difficult person or problem子どもに手を焼く to struggle to manage a child対応に手を焼く to find something hard to deal with |
| 口数 | くちかず | n how much one talksalso the number of units or shares (donations, subscriptions), in that sense also read こうすう口数が少ない quiet, a person of few words口数が減る to talk less |
| めっきり | めっきり | adv noticeably; markedlyof a change, usually toward less, weaker or colderめっきり寒くなる to turn noticeably coldめっきり減る to fall off sharply |
| 日課 | にっか | n daily routine; something one does every day散歩を日課にする to make a walk part of one's day日課の散歩 one's daily walk |
| 公演 | こうえん | n, suru-verb performance; show (theatre, concert)same reading as 講演 (a lecture)東京公演 the Tokyo show公演を行う to put on a performance |
| 提携 | ていけい | n, suru-verb tie-up; partnershipmainly between companies or institutions業務提携 a business alliance〜と提携する to partner with ~ |
| 輝く | かがやく | v, intrans. to shine; to win (an award)賞に輝く to win a prize, a set phrase in news目が輝く one's eyes light up |
| 乗り出す | のりだす | v, intrans. to set about; to step informally taking on something big対策に乗り出す to move to tackle a problem調査に乗り出す to launch an investigation |
| 事態 | じたい | n situation; state of affairsusually a bad one事態が悪化する the situation gets worse緊急事態 an emergency |
1. 〜が早いか ~ga hayai ka (No sooner… than…)
Conjugation
- Verb dictionary form + が早いか
- Verb ta-form + が早いか (less common)
※ Written style, mostly in fiction and narrative. The set phrase 「〜と言うが早いか」 ("no sooner had they said ~ than…") is common.
Meaning
"No sooner… than…" or "the instant…". Literally "(it's hard to tell) which came first" — it stresses that B happened almost at the same moment as A, and B is often a quick, energetic action.
Restrictions:
- Describes a concrete event that already happened; the main clause is usually past tense.
- The main clause can't be a volition, command, request, guess or future event (no 「〜が早いか、〜しよう／〜してください」).
- The two clauses can have the same subject or different ones.
Example Sentences
- 息子は学校から帰るが早いか、ランドセルを放り出して遊びに行ってしまった。(No sooner had my son got home from school than he flung down his backpack and went off to play.)
- 終業のチャイムが鳴るが早いか、社員たちは一斉に席を立った。(The instant the closing bell rang, the staff all got up from their desks at once.)
- 彼は会議室を出るが早いか、携帯電話を取り出してどこかへ電話をかけ始めた。(No sooner had he left the meeting room than he pulled out his phone and started calling someone.)
- セールの開始が告げられるが早いか、客たちは目当ての売り場へ殺到した。(The moment the sale was announced, shoppers rushed to the counters they had come for.)
- 「行ってきます」と言うが早いか、娘は玄関を飛び出していった。(No sooner had my daughter said "I'm off" than she was out the front door.)
Comparison
| Expression | Volition / command / future after it? | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| が早いか | ❌ No | Written; stresses near-simultaneity |
| たとたん（に） | ❌ No | N3; B is usually unexpected; fine in speech |
| 次第 | ⭕ Yes | N3; businesslike "as soon as (I'll do)" |
❌ 駅に着くが早いか、電話してください。
⭕ 駅に着き次第、電話してください。(Please call as soon as you get to the station.)
On the test, if the main clause ends in 「〜てください」, 「〜するつもりだ」 or 「〜しよう」, rule out が早いか, や否や and なり.
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
2. 〜や否や/〜や ~ya inaya / ~ya (As soon as… / The instant…)
Conjugation
- Verb dictionary form + や否や
- Verb dictionary form + や (shorter and even more formal)
※ 「否」 is read 「いな」. This is the most formal pattern in the lesson, typical of news reports and commentary.
Meaning
"As soon as…" or "the instant…". Literally "before it was even settled whether (A happened, B did)" — B follows the moment A happens, often as a reaction to A or a change caused by it.
Restrictions:
- Like 「が早いか」, it only describes things that already happened; no volition, command or future in the main clause.
- The subjects can differ, which suits "the moment A happened, people/the world reacted".
Example Sentences
- 大手銀行の経営破綻が報じられるや否や、株価は急落した。(The instant the collapse of a major bank was reported, share prices plunged.)
- 主役が舞台に姿を現すや否や、会場は大きな拍手に包まれた。(The moment the lead actor appeared on stage, the hall erupted in applause.)
- 新型スマートフォンは発売されるや否や、各地の店舗で品切れが相次いだ。(As soon as the new smartphone went on sale, it sold out at store after store across the country.)
- 事故の知らせを聞くや、彼女は病院に駆けつけた。(As soon as she heard about the accident, she rushed to the hospital.)
- 犯人は警察官の姿を見るや、一目散に逃げ出した。(The instant the culprit saw the police officer, he took off as fast as he could.)
✍ Practice this point (4 questions)
3. 〜なり ~nari (The moment… / No sooner…)
Conjugation
- Verb dictionary form + なり
※ Both clauses must have the same subject, normally a third person (he, she, my father…).
Meaning
"The moment…" or "no sooner had… than…". Someone does A and immediately does B, and B is usually sudden or surprising to the onlooker. Mostly used in fiction to describe what a character does.
Restrictions:
- Same subject in both clauses: ❌ 「ベルが鳴るなり、生徒たちは〜」 (the bell and the students are different subjects).
- Not normally used about yourself: △ 「私は家に帰るなり寝た」 sounds odd; for your own actions use 「〜とすぐ（に）」 or 「〜てすぐ」.
- Only past facts; no volition, command or future in the main clause.
Example Sentences
- 父は帰宅するなり、黙って書斎にこもってしまった。(The moment my father got home, he shut himself in his study without a word.)
- 彼女は私の顔を見るなり、わっと泣き出した。(The moment she saw my face, she burst into tears.)
- 男は店に入ってくるなり、「責任者を出せ」と店員を怒鳴りつけた。(No sooner had the man walked into the shop than he yelled at the clerk, "Get me the manager!")
- 部長は報告書を一目見るなり、顔色を変えた。(The department head took one look at the report and his face changed.)
- 娘は電話を切るなり、何も言わずに家を出ていった。(The moment my daughter hung up, she left the house without saying a word.)
Comparison
| Expression | Attaches to | Subject | Main clause | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| が早いか | dictionary form (ta-form) | same or different | a quick action; past fact | written; fiction |
| や否や／や | dictionary form | same or different | a reaction or change; past fact | most formal; news |
| なり | dictionary form | must be the same; third person | a surprising action; past fact | fiction |
| たとたん（に） | ta-form | same or different | something unexpected, often non-volitional | N3; fine in speech |
| 次第 | masu-stem | same or different | volition, requests, notices all OK | N3; businesslike |
Traps the N1 test likes:
① Form: 「たとたん」 takes the ta-form, 「次第」 the masu-stem, the other three the dictionary form. ❌ 顔を見たなり泣き出した → ⭕ 顔を見るなり泣き出した (「たなり」 means something else — see ④)
② Subject: 「なり」 needs the same subject. 「警報が鳴るや否や、住民は避難を始めた」 ⭕, but with 「なり」 it's ❌.
③ Main clause: only 「次第」 can take a future, volition or request. ❌ 結果が出るや否や、お知らせします → ⭕ 結果が出次第、お知らせします
④ 「なり」 has other uses — don't mix them up: 「〜たなり」 = たまま (「朝出かけたなり、まだ帰ってこない」 he went out this morning and still hasn't come back); 「AなりBなり」 = A or B, whichever (Lesson 78).
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
4. 〜そばから ~soba kara (No sooner… than it's undone / As fast as…)
Conjugation
- Verb dictionary form + そばから
- Verb ta-form + そばから
※ 「そば」 originally means "beside"; here it is "right on the heels of" an action.
Meaning
"As fast as…" or "no sooner… than it's undone". Right after A is done, something happens that cancels it out, and this keeps happening. Usually carries a resigned or complaining tone.
Restrictions:
- For things that happen repeatedly, not a one-off event: ❌ 「家を出たそばから雨が降り出した」 (for a single event use 「たとたん」).
- The main clause is often 「〜ていく」, 「〜てしまう」 or non-past, showing a habit or repetition.
Example Sentences
- 片付けるそばから、子どもたちがまた部屋を散らかしていく。(As fast as I tidy up, the kids mess the room up again.)
- 年のせいか、新しい単語を覚えるそばから忘れてしまう。(Maybe it's my age, but I forget new words as soon as I learn them.)
- 雪かきをするそばから、また雪が積もっていく。(No sooner do I shovel the snow than it piles up again.)
- 給料が入るそばから、カードの支払いに消えていく。(My pay goes on card bills as soon as it comes in.)
- 注意したそばから同じミスを繰り返すので、彼には本当に手を焼いている。(He makes the same mistake again right after being told, so I really don't know what to do with him.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| そばから | as fast as… (it's undone) | Repeated; what A achieved gets cancelled; usually a complaint |
| たびに | every time… | Whenever A, B; B needn't cancel A; neutral (N3 Lesson 50) |
| たとたん（に） | the moment… | A single, unexpected event |
「覚えるそばから忘れる」= forget things as soon as you learn them (repeated, wasted effort)
「この歌を聞くたびに故郷を思い出す」= every time I hear this song I think of home (repeated, but nothing is undone)
「家を出たとたん雨が降り出した」= the moment I left the house it started raining (one-off)
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
5. 〜てからというもの ~teka ra to iu mono (Ever since…)
Conjugation
- Verb te-form + からというもの
※ More formal than 「てから」 or 「て以来」, with an emotional, reflective tone.
Meaning
"Ever since…". A marks a turning point; after it, a person or their life changed a lot, and the new state has continued up to now.
Restrictions:
- The main clause must be a lasting state or change (「〜ている」, 「〜ようになった」, 「すっかり〜」…), not a one-off event: ❌ 「日本に来てからというもの、一度富士山に登った」.
- No future or volition: ❌ 「卒業してからというもの、留学するつもりだ」.
Example Sentences
- 妻を亡くしてからというもの、父はめっきり口数が減った。(Ever since he lost his wife, my father has become much quieter.)
- 子どもが生まれてからというもの、夫は人が変わったように積極的に家事をするようになった。(Ever since our child was born, my husband has been a changed man, doing housework without being asked.)
- スマートフォンを持つようになってからというもの、本を読む時間がすっかりなくなってしまった。(Ever since I got a smartphone, I've had no time at all for reading books.)
- この町に越してきてからというもの、川沿いを朝散歩するのが日課になっている。(Ever since I moved to this town, a morning walk along the river has been part of my daily routine.)
- 医者に注意されてからというもの、彼は酒を一滴も口にしていない。(Ever since his doctor warned him, he hasn't touched a drop of alcohol.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| てからというもの | ever since… (things have been different) | Formal; stresses a big, lasting change, with feeling |
| て以来 | since… | Formal but neutral; just states the situation since then (N4 Lesson 24) |
| てから | after… | Just sequence; the main clause can be a one-off event, volition or future |
「日本に来てから、富士山に登った」⭕ (after coming to Japan I climbed Mt Fuji — plain sequence)
「日本に来てからというもの、富士山に登った」❌ (a one-off event)
「日本に来てからというもの、毎日が驚きの連続だ」⭕ (ever since I came to Japan, every day has been one surprise after another)
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
6. 〜を皮切りに（して）/を皮切りとして ~wo kawakiri ni (shite) / wo kawakiri toshite (Starting with… / Kicking off with…)
Conjugation
- Noun + を皮切りに（して）
- Noun + を皮切りとして
※ 「皮切り」 originally meant the first moxa burn of a treatment, hence "the very first one."
Meaning
"Starting with…" or "kicking off with…". A is the first in a series of similar events; after it, more of the same follow and spread. The main clause often has 「次々と」, 「相次いで」, 「各地で」 or 「全国で」.
Restrictions:
- A has to be the first of a series, not just a trigger: ❌ 「大学入学を皮切りに、一人暮らしを始めた」 (for a simple trigger use 「をきっかけに」).
- Mostly for shows, store openings, business, remarks — neutral or positive things. For the start of a chain of bad events, 「を発端に」 and similar are more usual.
- The main clause can be something that already happened or something planned for the future.
Example Sentences
- 来月の東京公演を皮切りに、全国20都市を回るツアーが始まる。(Kicking off with a show in Tokyo next month, the tour will visit 20 cities nationwide.)
- 大阪での一号店開業を皮切りに、同社は関西各地に次々と店舗を広げていった。(Starting with its first store in Osaka, the company opened one branch after another across the Kansai region.)
- 部長の発言を皮切りに、会議では反対意見が相次いだ。(Starting with the department head's remarks, objection after objection was raised in the meeting.)
- 今回の業務提携を皮切りとして、両社は今後さらに協力関係を深めていく方針だ。(With this business alliance as a first step, the two companies plan to deepen their cooperation further.)
- この映画祭での受賞を皮切りに、彼女は国内外で数々の賞に輝いた。(Starting with the award at this film festival, she went on to win a string of prizes at home and abroad.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| を皮切りに | starting with… (and then a series) | A is the first of a series of similar events |
| をきっかけに | prompted by… | A only triggers a change; no series needed (N2 Lesson 63) |
| をはじめ（として） | … and others / led by… | Names a representative example; no time order (N3 Lesson 46) |
「東京公演を皮切りに全国ツアーが始まる」= the national tour starts with Tokyo and moves on (first in time)
「留学をきっかけに日本の文化に興味を持った」= studying abroad got me interested in Japanese culture (a trigger, no series)
「東京をはじめ、大阪や名古屋でも公演がある」= there are shows in Tokyo, and also Osaka and Nagoya (examples, no order)
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
7. 〜に至って（は）/に至っても/に至るまで ~ni itatte (wa) / ni itatte mo / ni itaru made (When it comes to… / Even down to…)
Conjugation
- Noun / verb dictionary form + に至って (初めて / ようやく)
- Noun + に至っては
- Noun / verb dictionary form + に至っても
- Noun + に至るまで (often 「AからBに至るまで」)
※ 「至る」 means "to reach." All four forms are about things reaching an extreme point, but each means something different.
Meaning
- に至って: "only when it came to… did…". Things got bad enough before action was finally taken; often with 「初めて」 or 「ようやく」, and a critical "too late" tone.
- に至っては: "as for…, (even worse)…". After a general statement, it singles out the most extreme case; usually negative.
- に至っても: "even when it reached…, still (not)…". The main clause is usually negative, criticising a failure to act.
- に至るまで: "right down to…" or "even…". Stresses how wide the range is, reaching details you wouldn't expect.
Example Sentences
- 死者が出るに至って、行政はようやく本格的な対策に乗り出した。(Only when people had died did the authorities finally take serious measures.)
- 事態がここまで悪化するに至って初めて、経営陣は自らの責任を認めた。(It was only when things had got this bad that management admitted its responsibility.)
- クラスの大半が宿題を忘れ、田中君に至っては教科書すら持ってこなかった。(Most of the class forgot their homework, and Tanaka didn't even bring his textbook.)
- 被害が全国に広がるに至っても、政府は有効な手を打とうとしなかった。(Even when the damage had spread nationwide, the government made no effort to take effective action.)
- この旅館では、料理の器から箸置きに至るまで、すべて地元の職人の手によるものだ。(At this inn, everything from the dishes to the chopstick rests is the work of local craftspeople.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Main clause |
|---|---|---|
| に至って | only when it came to… did… | the action finally taken (ようやく / 初めて) |
| に至っては | as for… (even worse) | the most extreme case, usually negative |
| に至っても | even when it reached… | usually negative: "still didn't" |
| に至るまで | right down to… / even… | the wide range; often paired with 「から」 |
「に至って」 and 「に至っても」 are opposites: the first is "it got this far, and then they finally acted," the second "it got this far, and they still didn't."
「に至っては」 isn't about time — it picks out the most extreme case, usually after a general statement.
「に至るまで」 is stronger and more formal than plain 「まで」, stressing that even the smallest details are included.
「〜に至る」 is also common on its own: 「事故に至った経緯」 (how the accident came about), 「現在に至る」 (up to the present).
✍ Practice this point (4 questions)
Practice
Part 1: Choose the appropriate grammar (が早いか / や否や / なり / そばから / てからというもの / を皮切りに / に至って / に至るまで / 次第)
- 掃除する（ ）、犬が泥だらけの足で上がってくる。
- 留学から帰っ（ ）、彼は別人のように積極的になった。
- 札幌（ ）、全国各地でキャンペーンが展開される予定だ。
- 倒産寸前（ ）、社長はようやく自らの非を認めた。
- 母は娘の顔を見る（ ）、「どこへ行っていたの」と叱りつけた。
- 警報が鳴る（ ）、住民たちは高台へ避難し始めた。
- 会議が終わり（ ）、ご報告いたします。
- その作家は、日記から買い物のメモ（ ）、すべて手元に残していた。
Part 2: Translate into Japanese
- No sooner had he hung up than he rushed out of the room. (Use が早いか)
- The moment the news was announced, inquiries poured in from all over the country. (Use や否や)
- Ever since I started living alone, I've been cooking for myself a lot. (Use てからというもの)
- He forgets things as soon as he's taught them, so he keeps making the same mistakes. (Use そばから)
- Only when people were harmed did the company finally admit the product was defective. (Use に至って)
- The school rules regulate everything in detail, from clothing right down to hairstyles. (Use に至るまで)
Answers
- そばから
- てからというもの
- を皮切りに
- に至って
- なり (が早いか or や否や also work; for the same subject doing something surprising, なり is the textbook choice)
- や否や (が早いか also works; the subjects differ, so なり can't be used)
- 次第 (the main clause is the speaker's own planned action, "I will report," so が早いか, や否や and なり are all ruled out)
- に至るまで
- 彼は電話を切るが早いか、部屋を飛び出していった。
- その知らせが発表されるや否や、各地から問い合わせが相次いだ。
- 一人暮らしを始めてからというもの、よく自分で料理をするようになった。
- 教えたそばから忘れてしまうので、彼はいつも同じミスをする。
- 被害者が出るに至って、会社はようやく製品の欠陥を認めた。
- 校則は服装から髪型に至るまで細かく決められている。
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